Votes buoy banks, UEA

Last week's legislative primaries likely resulted in victories for two groups that are constantly battling foes in the Utah Legislature: public education advocates and banks.

The Utah Education Association, the state's largest teacher union, and Zions Bank, which has led out locally and nationally in an attempt to tax the income of large nonprofit credit unions, both made gains in their legislative influence, according to poll results, reviews of candidate financial reports and interviews.

The UEA and public school supporters have found a bitter enemy in Parents for Choice in Education, a group that advocates school-choice options, including income tax credits for private school tuition.

And Utah bankers have had bloody fights with credit unions over taxation of the nonprofit credit unions.

While none of Tuesday's victors would be considered one-issue candidates, nor would they be owned by any special-interest group, several candidates received healthy contributions from banks or credit unions or public or private school advocates.

Recent elections have seen advocacy-group "hit lists" of incumbents to help or defeat, based on critical votes.

Given that background, here were some of the winners and losers in Tuesday's elections:

Banks win

Banks received a major victory in Senate District 26, with Kevin VanTassell taking out Rep. Dave Ure, R-Kamas, in a GOP primary. Ure is a credit union supporter. VanTassell is a branch manager for Zions Bank in Vernal.

Howard Headlee, president of the Utah Bankers Association, said the banks weren't really involved in races this year like they have been in the past, although banks did "give money in many places" in the primary.

The exception, Headlee said, was VanTassell's race, where they did make a push. "And we only did that because Rep. Ure tried to turn that race into a race against Zions Bank — and it really wasn't.

"You didn't see the nasty (pro-credit union, anti-bank) advertisements in the primary that we've seen in the past. This issue (of credit union taxation) has really moved beyond the Legislature" and to Congress, Headlee said.

Zions chairman Harris Simmons gave VanTassell $500 and Zions president Scott Anderson gave him $1,000 — a combined 12 percent of VanTassell's money.

Zions spokesman Rob Brough recently told the Deseret Morning News that it was ridiculous to imply that VanTassell or any other legislator connected with the bank would side with the banks on any legislative issues.